SD 1.6

YOUTH VIOLENT CRIME ARREST RATES ⁶

Violent crimes, as defined by the FBI, include murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. The rate of youth arrests for violent crimes quadrupled between 1965 and 1994, from 58 to 231 per 100,000 persons under age 18. The increase has been fairly constant over time, except for a short-lived reduction in youth violent crime arrest rates between 1980 and 1985 (see Figure SD 1.6).

Differences by Race. Rates have increased for both white and nonwhite youth during this period, though nonwhite rates have been consistently and substantially higher. In 1994 rates of arrest for violent crimes for whites were 138 per 100,000 compared to 584 per 100,000 for nonwhites.

Differences by Age and Gender. Arrest rates for violent crimes have consistently been much higher among males than among females over time and across all ages (see Table SD 1.6). However, rates for both males and females increased substantially between 1965 and 1994, exhibiting a brief decline only during the early 1980s. For example, among females age 18, rates increased from 37 to 249 per 100,000 between 1965 and 1994. For 18 year old males, the rates increased from 638 to 2,042 per 100,000 during that same time period, or to about two arrests per one hundred 18 year old males.

Violent crime arrest rates climb quickly and steadily with age for young men, from 153 per 100,000 for 10-12 year olds to 2,042 per 100,000 among 18 year olds in 1994. By contrast, the rates for young women do not increase uniformly or rapidly with age, peaking at age 16 at 275 arrests per 100,000, then declining to below 250 per 100,000 for ages 17 and 18.
 

Figure SD 1.6   Arrest Rates for Violent Crimes by Youth Ages 18: 1965-1994 (Rate per 100,000)

Note: Violent crimes include murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Rates refer to the number of arrest made per 100,000 inhabitants belonging to the prescribed age group. Source: Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Federal Bureau of Investigation. 1993. Age-Specific Arrest Rates and Race-Specific Arrest Rates for Selected Offenses, 1965-1992. U.S. Department of Justice. Special analysis of 1993 and 1994 data by Program Support Section, Criminal Justice Information Services Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation.
 
 

Table SD 1.6   Arrest Rates for Violent Crimes by Youth Ages 18, 1965-1994 (per 100,000)
				1965	1970	1975	1980	1985	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994
				——	——	——	——	——	——	——	——	——	——
Total				58	101	136	163	139	184	195	188	220	231
Race/Ethnicity
	White			24	42	79	92	77	108	121	126	130	138
	Non-white			259	436	431	492	400	488	486	534	568	584
Age
	12-Oct			--	--	--	47	56	71	77	81	86	92
	13-14			139	207	250	262	252	369	397	420	461	493
	15			245	364	483	505	446	670	720	725	829	858
	16			304	459	616	638	568	879	925	940	1031	1058
	17			305	519	663	739	662	986	1041	1001	1115	1119
	18			338	571	713	746	661	1023	1108	1092	1149	1167
Gender
	Male
		12-Oct		--	--	--	82	99	119	130	137	144	153
		13-14		242	351	420	446	424	602	652	681	740	788
		15		442	644	832	877	769	1137	1222	1210	1379	2414
		16		564	838	1102	1130	999	1525	1604	1621	1764	1798
		17		572	957	1201	1322	1180	1745	1841	1757	1944	1939
		18		638	1065	1299	1350	1194	1840	1996	1944	2038	2042
	Female
		12-Oct		--	--	--	10	12	19	20	23	25	27
		13-14		32	57	72	70	71	123	130	145	167	183
		15		40	73	119	117	108	177	192	214	249	272
		16		36	67	114	125	118	193	204	217	253	275
		17		30	66	105	130	118	179	188	195	233	247
		18		37	72	113	125	114	164	176	197	214	249
Note: Violent Crime is the sum of murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Rates refer to the number of arrests made per 100,000 inhabitants belonging to the prescribed age group.   Source: Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Federal Bureau of Investigation: 1993.   Age-Specific Arrest Rates and Race-Specific Arrest Rates for Selected Offenses,   1965-1992. pp. 12-17 & p. 181. U.S. Department of Justice. Special Analysis of 1993 and 1994 data by Program Support Section, Criminal Justice Information Services Division, FBI.